Throwdown Winning Chicken Fried Steak

Ingredients:

2¾ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup seasoned salt

3 tablespoons lemon pepper

1 tablespoon garlic salt

Canola or peanut oil for frying

4 (5-ounce) pieces tenderized top or bottom round steaks (see Tip)

Golden Fry Batter (see below)

Creamy White Gravy (see below)

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, seasoned salt, lemon pepper, and garlic salt. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, pot, or Dutch oven, pour in enough oil to deep-fry the steaks (2½ to 3 inches). Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches about 350°F.

3. Pick up one piece of meat with tongs and dip it into the batter and then into the flour mixture. Be sure both sides are well coated. Repeat, or as I call it, "double baptize." Repeat with remaining steaks.

4. Fry the pieces for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm with the gravy.

Tips: "Tenderized" steaks, which are cut from the eye of round, top round, or bottom round, have been mechanically tenderized by the butcher. They look like a cross between a hamburger and steak. You can also buy sirloin and tenderize it yourself with a meat tenderizing hammer.

You can replace the Golden Fry Batter with a mixture of 2 cups milk or buttermilk, 2 large eggs, beaten, and 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Golden Fry Batter

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons powdered whole egg

3 tablespoons powdered milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

3 cups warm water

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, baking powder, and paprika together.

2. Dissolve the mixture in the water.